Rental Cars - More Expensive at Peak Times?

[Cheloconnell]

Hi ~

We have booked rental cars through Alamo for both October and December for around $165 for a mid size SUV. The same vehicle for April 2009 is $252 for the same vehicle and same number of days. Does anyone know if the rental car companies adjust for the time of year and which one would be the cheapest to go with that is on airport property? Thanks :mickey:

[Beast_fanatic]

Car rental rates seem to be up in general.

As far as who is least expensive from the airport, it varies widely.

[Jasper]

In a word, yes they do often have higher rates depending on the season. However, they have all also undergone general price increases in recent months so depending on when you booked that may very well have caused some or all of the difference in prices. As has already been said there are so many different things that go into pricing a rental car that it is almost impossible for anyone to say which is the least expensive. For example, one company may be much cheaper on their SUV's and someone else may be cheaper on their four door sedans.

[sisterdisco]

Hi ~

We have booked rental cars through Alamo for both October and December for around $165 for a mid size SUV. The same vehicle for April 2009 is $252 for the same vehicle and same number of days. Does anyone know if the rental car companies adjust for the time of year and which one would be the cheapest to go with that is on airport property? Thanks :mickey:


A few days ago (which would make it 2 1/2 weeks out), I booked a mid sized rental car through Alamo for $125 + tax for 8 days which comes out to $159. Previously, the cheapest rate I could find was $225, and most were up to $300. I would make the cheapest ressie you can find and then keep checking for last minute specials. You never know, w/ the price of gas, if rentals are down, the rental price may go down.

[merlinmagic4]

I think they do tend to be more expensive during peak times. It only makes sense. I travel peak times and usually pay around 250-300 for a week (and maybe an extra day or two) in a minivan.

The best way to search, IMO, is to go to one of the sites like priceline or travelocity. You type in your dates and they'll show you all of the different agencies/vehicles/prices.

Good Luck!

[Cheloconnell]

Thank you all for the replies. It is very much appreciated :mickey:

[prshell]

Check Expedia and Orbitz. See what the prices are, and then you can go to the individual websites to see if they have a cheaper rate. Yes, they do change during peak seasons. We went in February and needed a minivan. I got it through Enterprise for $162 for the week. One of my coworkers had gotten their minivan during spring break and it was $300.

[faline]

You can also try renting as an add-on through your airline carrier. On one occasion, I found this the least expensive way to go.